One woman's attempt at living a more sustainable life on 3/4 of an acre in the city....

Friday, October 5, 2012

Bought the farm....

Some of my fondest childhood memories were at the hands of Fisher Price. I grew up with very little television influence and a great imagination. Whether I was refueling my Fisher Price jet or opening the barn door on my Fisher Price barn to hear it "moo", I was in a make believe world of my own and I loved it there. Free to make believe. In my opinion there is no better way to be a child.....

Even as an adult the mere "ding" of the bell on a vintage FP doll house or the sound of the "moo" when you open the barn door on the farm brings me right back to a time when I played for hours, sitting on a step with a cup of Goldfish crackers and a cocker spaniel next to me. It is instant nostalgia.

It is this nostalgia that made me start collecting vintage Fisher Price toys as an adult. I didn't want all of the toys that Fisher Price ever made. I only wanted the ones that I physically had as a child. I wanted to experience these toys again as an adult. Not only that, but these toys are toys that can actually still be played with. When my nephews come to visit, every one of these toys gets a workout! There are only 2 pieces that I am still missing: the farm and the doll house.

My nephew, Isaac, is the love of my life. With red hair and an aura of mischief, I can't help but be melted into a huge puddle at his feet. He has me wrapped around his little finger and he knows it. Isaac loves to play with my iPhone. It contains games and television shows, and sometimes in order to keep him occupied I will allow him to play with it. Well, we went over to visit him last week and he wanted to play with my phone. I told him to go ask the Reluctant Farmer for her phone because my battery was dying. None of us were really paying much attention to what Isaac was doing. He was sitting on the couch having a great time pushing all of the buttons, when suddenly I hear the Reluctant Farmer exclaim, "Crap! He is on eBay, and he bid and won something!" Knowing that the Reluctant Farmer had been watching tents on eBay, my heart just sunk. We did not have the extra $400.00 that these tents were going for and I felt like I might vomit. The two of us were squeezed around the phone trying to see what Isaac bid on, Isaac was standing at our feet looking very nervous, and suddenly the Reluctant Farmer starts laughing hysterically. She said, "Well, it looks like he bought you a present!"

There is sat on the "won"screen. A 1968 Fisher Price farm! I had been poking around on eBay the week before and put 2 farms on the "watch" list. Evidently, when Isaac was playing on the phone a reminder that the auction was about to end popped up and Isaac did what every 3 year old would do. He hit the button. Unfortunately it was the "bid" button. Luckily, the farm that he purchased was the cheaper of the two that I was watching and our entire lesson on letting a three year old play with an iPhone only cost me $10.57 and an additional $10.00 in shipping and handling. I am sure the memories that Isaac and I make playing with this farm will be much greater than the $20.57 it cost him to but it!

What a fun post! I too loved the Fisher Price Little People as a child, I am currently considering collecting the wonderful 1970's A-Frame Family House. My grandma kept a cupboard stocked full of Little People sets, and I think they are a wonderful toy, have fun with your new farm! :)